Electricians and plumbers out-earn the typical worker in almost every state, and the gap is biggest in Illinois.
In Illinois, the typical electrician earned $99,560 a year in May 2025 and the typical plumber earned $99,950. The typical Illinois worker across all jobs earned $51,960. That means Illinois electricians and plumbers earned about 92% more than the typical worker in their state, the biggest premium in the country for both trades, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Nationwide, the median for all jobs was $50,980. Electricians earned about 24% more than that, plumbers about 25% more and HVAC technicians about 20% more.
Other states where the trades pay far above the local median:
- Electricians: Oregon (+78%), Hawaii (+71%), Montana (+57%)
- Plumbers: Oregon (+70%), Minnesota (+66%), Montana (+64%), Michigan (+63%)
- HVAC techs: North Dakota (+42%), Minnesota (+34%), New Hampshire (+32%)
HVAC pay is closer to the typical job
HVAC techs out-earned the typical worker in every state, but by less. The premium ran from 49% in Illinois down to 6% in Alabama and 6% in New Mexico. The District of Columbia is the one exception for HVAC and electricians: the typical D.C. worker, in a city with many government and professional jobs, earned $91,540, more than D.C. electricians ($78,970) or HVAC techs ($84,390).
A premium over the local median doesn’t mean the trade pays the most in that state in dollars. It shows how a trade compares with other work nearby, which matters to someone deciding whether to learn a trade. Builders are also reporting shortages: 45% of builders said they were short of plumbers and 43% short of HVAC workers in a September 2026 survey, Hardware Retailing reported.
What this means if you’re thinking about a trade business
High local pay for the trade usually means higher labor costs if you hire, but also room to charge more. Before you open, line up a license and coverage. See our guides to electrician insurance in Illinois, plumbing insurance in Michigan and HVAC insurance in New Hampshire.
How we got these numbers
All wages are median annual wages from the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey for May 2025, the newest release, pulled through the BLS public data API. The median is the midpoint: half of workers in the job earn more and half earn less. OEWS covers employees on payrolls; it does not include self-employed business owners. Occupation codes: 47-2111 (electricians), 47-2152 (plumbers, pipefitters and steamfitters), 49-9021 (heating, air conditioning and refrigeration mechanics and installers) and 00-0000 (all occupations). Percentages are rounded to whole numbers. Figures cover all 50 states and the District of Columbia. Data pulled October 18, 2026.